Fern Mc Costigan: August 2018

Friday, August 31, 2018

An upsetting evening delivered by Bit O’ Red in Turners Cross

Cork City 1, Sligo Rovers 2

Turner’s Cross-Stadium, Cork City

Wow, if these Rovers are for real, with a late winner these delivered a blow to the defending champions at home, denting their chances of a repeat. This loss felt heavily on the City side ending their undefeated run at home with an upsetting loss.

For the match hero Raffaele Cretaro scoring late in the second half the game winner, in the 84’ minute, left little possibilities to mount a rally by these hardened Leesiders to try to mount a rally and at least try to rescue a point.

Coming to this match and playing as local were Cork City labeled as a tough client to take down and with today’s match being with all the labels of all around favorites, they did not had in mind of seeing how their guest were going to react in the end.

Still give this Rebel Army an A for effort and displaying their all-around might with their game that in every campaign gets better and better, these were the ones to open up the ball with an early goal.

With an early goal from City Karl Sheppard, his sixth of the campaign after a free kick taken by Barry McNamee in the 10’ minute and putting the Rebels up the score and sending the whole of Turner’s Cross into a frenzy.

The early goal show the first half dominance by the Leesiders showing their might and taking the first half by storm despite the a few opportunities and rallies that the visiting Rovers tried to open up the score and going into halftime.

The second half many thought that the Rebel Army was to come and seal this one with a couple of more goals and with the arsenal these possess and the troublesome background he Bit O’ Red came to this colossus, the outcome of an easy win was in the works by City.

With six matches in the campaign if the Lilywhites wouldn’t been upset this past Monday by the Shamrock Rovers, maybe these would been looking to seal the league shield by winning in a couple of matches.

Still the second half was to be all Rovers rule, when these broke the clean sheet the Leesiders had over them with a defensive dominance until everything came down to an equalizing goal by Sligo David Cawley in the 72’ minute.

For John Caulfield City not believing his eyes and a comeback, bounce from a team that so far in the campaign has shown a troublesome run in the course of the campaign, today we saw an opposite Sligo squad.

Despite the win over a foe considered serious and almighty, for the Bit O’ Red manager Gerard Lyttle this feat was one amazing and one of a kind after experience a see saw of a campaign and sealing their fate for another run in next year Premiership.

In the end, the substitutions performed by City Manager John Caulfield failed to stage a late rally to at least rescue a point and be within striking distance of league leader Dundalk leading by six points.

Thursday, August 30, 2018

The right moves paid off for the Portland Timbers

Portland Timbers 2, Toronto FC 0

Providence Park, Portland, Oregon

What a relief of snapping a four game losing streak for these Portland Timbers playing an amazing game last night in Providence Park. As we can state that manager, Gio Savarese had all the right moves that paid off with a valuable win.

Once again, with another novelty in the initial eleven for the Timbers with the long awaited debut of Jorge Villafaña in left back and moving Zarek Valentin to the right with Larry’s Mabiala and Liam Ridgewell as center backs.

We saw an all-around improvement in the Portland defensive backfield, and with Jorge and Liam showing a total confidence in the Timbers backfield, by making all kinds of valuable plays and saves that gave his goalkeeper a tranquil evening under his arches.

Still this was a team effort and the whole Rose City initial elven delivered a one of a kind match last night as the one they did last Sunday, this time preventing the visiting TFC to display their game they are the most comfortable with and not giving them any liberties.

Since the get go of this match the Rose City Boys show poise, determination and taking initiative to control this match, despite not seeing señor goal in the first half after several tries, give the locals attack a cigar for their efforts shown all evening long.

Still I give merit to the battling Toronto squad that defended its arches very overzealously and prevented a series of scores to fall and making some plays that could become a goal despite missing some notable players in the initial eleven.

The absences of Sebastian Giovinco, Jonathan Osorio and Victor Vasquez were very notable but still the way Portland played this game I doubt it these would made any damage to the locals momentum these had and hunger shown in the whole ninety minutes. With the likes of Michael Bradley and Jozy Altidore, the backfield had its hands full whenever these had the ball and started a play.

As the first half ended even at zero goals, the second promised to be one filled with a lot of excitement and more fight put by both of these squads; however, the Portland Timbers were the ones once again taking control of this match.

By playing, the way these did against the defending champions I do believe Gio is making all the right moves in this squad and the man knows his business and strategies in his starting elevens.

As in the 50 minute this became providential in the Timbers attack with Sebastian Blanco making a couple of near score plays that shown his and the Timbers faithful all around disappointment, still the Andean is no quitter and suddenly he became the game hero.

With a nice midfield play started by Zarek Valentin passing to Blanco inside the are suddenly he sees a running and well placed Diego Chara getting the ball and the man from Colombia put the ball inside the nets to end the Timbers scoring drought.

In the minute 64’, the Portland Timbers took the lead with Chara’s first goal of the campaign and the local’s dominance clearly seen over the Reds who despite had their moments in the game the Portland defensive backfield stood up against them.

Still this affair was far from over when in the tables turned in favor of the Portland Timbers squad when David Guzman intercepted a bobo made by the TFC goalkeeper Clint Irwin to Michael Bradley handing the ball that and the Tico scored.

The moves for sure paid off for Gio in the end, not having Alvas Powell, Julio Cascante, Cristhian Paredes and Dairon Aspirilla in the eighteen to get a rest, still the man strategies are working for the best of this squad.

Still last night the Portland squad finally broke the scoring drought but with a couple of its defensive midfielders and showing off the need to improve, the attack is necessary by Gio despite his whole squad unity and wondrous performance. That catapults them above the red line of the postseason to fifth place above Seattle by a two-point lead.

A clear giveaway that gave the Rose City squad the lead for good with this go ahead goal in the 83’ minute and bury the Toronto chances of a comeback in the end with notable win at home and now going to face off a struggling New England Revolution squad.

Photos Credit and Property of Diego Diaz Photography 2018

Tuesday, August 28, 2018

The Hoops spoiler in Oriel Park

Dundalk 1, Shamrock Rovers 2

Oriel Park, Dundalk

The Lilywhites of Dundalk coming to this match were they came as the clear favorites to win this affair and continue their mastery in the top of the league table by extending their lead over their league foes the Rebel Army.

With this loss, the Town squad snapped a run with perfection of thirteen matches with a late foul on injury time and leaving little time for the locals to mount a rally and at least rescue a point.

After last week, defeat at home in the Dublin Derby the Shamrock Rovers still experiencing and agonizing and upsetting defeat against their cross town foes the Bohemians, todays these came ready to rock Oriel Park.

Especially when an inspired Roberto Lopes of the Rovers opened the scoreboard with the match just having two minutes on the clock to the dismay of all the attendees and the whole of the Dundalk initial eleven stunned for that early score.

Still with time in the clock this time the magic of Patrick Hoban, Michael Duffy, Robbie Benson or Jamie McGrath were not on the dot after seeing an inspired and courageous Shamrock Rovers displaying a one of a kind match all evening long.

In an evening were defenses ruled for both squads, the Dundalk side were the one with the most shoots in total with six versus their opponents with just a mere three but with a couple of goals in the end to net a notable win away.

A very contested affair for both squads as the amount of yellow cards were very visible for both squads totaling eight with four apiece for the Lilywhites and Hoops, seeing how the intensity of this match from both sides.

As the first half was all in favor of the visitors and needing just 45 more minutes to consume the feat, the outcome of this match in the second half was a resolute contest between both squads one looking to keep its positon firm at the top.

However, the Hoops are still on the hunt for that elusive third spot that will guarantee them a European ticket in the next edition of Europa League, as this win puts them within striking reach of Waterford who now has a lead of just a point.

Do not count the Shamrock Rovers out of this competition with the equalizer delivered by Michael Duffy that his shoot beat the likes of the Hoops goalkeeper in the 55’ minute as Stephen Kenny and company were getting a grasp of fresh air with this score.

In the end the perseverance and all-around determination of these hardened Hoops, were the game differentials as in the end a foul of Dundalk Sean Hoare inside the area over Ronan Finn on injury time on the 94’ minute.

Opening the stage for the Hoops Dylan Watts and converting to put his side up to two goals over one of the locals and with little time to mount an offensive rally by the locals despite the game ending in the 97’ minute.

Now for the Shamrock Rovers their next weekend match away in Carlisle Grounds against relegation prone Bray Wanderers and for Dundalk going to Limerick at Markets Filed and face off against the Super Blues.

Monday, August 27, 2018

Those amazing Spurs looking like a true contender

Manchester United 0, Tottenham 3

Old Trafford, Manchester

MUFC a Religion read a banner in one of Old Trafford sides, with their beloved Red Devils playing their third match of the campaign at home. With last week defeat in the books, Manu was obligated to deliver against an undefeated Tottenham Spurs.

For Jose Mourinho and his Red Devils it does not come easy and looking like a sure candidate to get his bags packed if results are not being as planned on the dot and delivering as the campaign rolls on and the lack of results are not fulfilling this squad aims.

A total clash of titans today in the Theater of Dreams, the lads of Manu played to another powerhouse in the Spurs from London Town looking to bag three points with a valuable away win.

As we were about to presence, another shootout between two masters of the game with the man that has won all sorts of silverware against one that is looking for his first piece to adorn the halls of the new White Hart Lane.

For Poche and company this campaign the skies the limit and looking forward to mount an all-around challenge to the defending champions Manchester City, looking forward to another notable campaign but this time looking forward to deliver with a shield or two.

As the man from Argentina knows, the squad he has and the potential it offers, maybe that was the reason of no picks in the summer transfers market, still this squad with a more mature roster and players determined for anything in this campaign.

Coming to these parts of Manchester is somehow an all-around challenge but one these Lilywhites are for real and looking good somehow in the start of this promising campaign for the London Boys.

With a challenged first half for both squads and highlighted by a defensive showdown with the lads of United making all sorts of attempts to beat the likes of the visiting squad goalkeeper Hugo Lloris who had a foremost evening under the arches defensively.

In addition, of an inspired offensive attack that took the locals by surprise as well exposing one of the weakness they are to address in the next transfers market but until winter to remedy this crisis in their backfield.

As defense wins games, with back-to-back losses for the Red Devils its time for manager Mourinho to pull a miracle from a formation that for sure can deliver for his squad, despite his 3-5-1-1 once again that was not enough to the push of an inspired Lucas Moura.

However opposite in the field Mauricio Pochettino sending an awkward 4- 1- 2- 1- 2 with Harry Kane and the Spurs hero Lucas Moura in the frontal attack, the Brazilian delivering with a double set of game winning scores.

With the visiting, Hotspurs Harry Kane opening the fete in the 50’ minute via a header leaving the likes of United keeper David De Gea not bale to finish the play for the visitors first score. Still this was to be the show of Lucas Moura with a couple of scores in the 52’ and 84’ minutes to seal the deal in the Theater of Dreams.

Not even with Lukaku, Pogba, Lingard, Fred or Herrera along the substitution Mou sent to counter the visitor’s momentum in their game, in the end these exposed an area of much need to work for the Portuguese if he wants to contend for anything in the campaign.

With a notable display of defensive work performed by Vertognhen, Rose, Alderweild and Trippier, and with an offensive game in its all-time high, these Spurs are looking like sure contenders for the league title.